Hospital Appointment Policy

Appointment Policy

To ensure the most efficient scheduling possible, the Kodiak Veterinary Clinic books appointments from 9am till approximately 12pm, and from 2:30pm till 5:30pm, Monday thru Friday. It is highly recommended that clients call in advance to schedule routine visits such as annual exams, vaccinations, and health certification for travel. Regularly scheduled appointments allow our staff to maintain an on- time schedule, while handling the needs of hospitalized patients and client requests in an efficient and organized manner.

Every one of our clients is different, with varied wants, needs, and expectations. That is why we offer 3 different Appointment options.

Scheduled Appointments:

For regularly scheduled appointments we ask that you arrive at the hospital at least 10 minutes prior to the scheduled appointment time to ensure efficient delivery of services to all of our clients. We recognize and appreciate the time you have taken to care for your pet and will do everything within our control to limit delays. However, the Kodiak Veterinary Clinic does serve as the only urgent care veterinary facility on Kodiak Island and therefore wait times can occasionally last up to 20-30 minutes. We will inform you of any delays and offer other options that might be available to help you avoid lengthy visits.

Drop Off Appointments:

For your convenience, drop-off' appointments are available. A 'drop off' means you could call ahead to bring your pet at the time that works best for you and leave him/her with us for a couple of hours. Usually we will ask you to drop off' sometime in the morning so our doctors can examine the patient in between appointments or at the time purposely reserved for admitted patients.

At the time of drop off, one of our technicians will assess your pet’s condition and discuss symptoms being displayed. Our staff will then generate an estimate for the examination with possible diagnostics and treatments. A deposit equal to 100% of the estimated cost will be expected at the time of drop off. Once the doctor has completed their examination and initial diagnostics, she will give you a call to go over the diagnosis, and/or discuss other diagnostic/treatment options that may be available. For the safety of all animals admitted into our hospital, we require that all vaccinations be up to date.

Urgent Care/Walk-In Appointments:

We do understand that traumatic injuries and illnesses can, and usually happens at the most inconvenient of times. If a client has a pet that is experiencing an urgent health issue, or is unable to come in for a visit during an open appointment slot, the client may opt for an urgent care/walk-in appointment during a previously booked time slot. Upon checking in, a technician will assess the patients’ vitals and/or symptoms, then discuss the case with an available Veterinarian, placing the patient into the rotation of walk-in cases to be seen. Wait times for patients to be seen on an urgent care basis will vary due to the number of regularly scheduled appointments remaining, the current needs of hospitalized patients, and the severity of the symptoms displayed by the patient being presented on urgent care basis. Patients with more severe symptoms will be given a much higher priority.

Appointment Fees

Fees for regularly scheduled appointments are lower than urgent care/walk-in appointments. If you would like an estimate of charges before your visit, please feel free to ask when scheduling your appointment. One of our staff members will be happy to provide you with a basic estimate that includes the cost of your pet’s physical examination. For more extensive treatments or procedures, a veterinarian will be able to provide you with a more accurate assessment of estimated charges once the physical examination has been completed.

Veterinary-Client-Patient Relationship

To provide veterinary services, a veterinarian-client-patient relationship (V-C-P-R) must exist. To establish a V-C-P-R, a veterinarian must have recently physically examined or inspected the patient, as well as assumed responsibility for making clinical decisions on the patient’s behalf, and that the client has agreed to treatment and will accept the veterinarian’s prescribed instructions for care. A V-C-P-R must be established prior to any type of procedures and/or treatments may be performed or prescription medications can be dispensed.

Pre-Surgical Appointments

Pre-surgical appointments are scheduled prior to any surgical or anesthetic procedure. The purpose behind the pre-surgical appointment is for the veterinarian to examine the patient prior to the surgical date to assess any other health needs, and to discuss all options available. Pet’s age at a much more rapid pace than humans, therefore a patient’s condition can change over the course of just a few months, sometimes even more rapidly. That is why all patients scheduled for anesthetic procedures must be examined no more than 45 days prior to surgery date. These appointments are considered invaluable time spent between veterinarian and client, as it provides the veterinarian time to answer client questions, discuss any potential concerns, and decide on which treatment plan will work best for the patient, as well as the client. At the time of the pre-surgical examination, the veterinarian may also provide the client with estimated costs associated with the treatment plans provided. Again, a patient’s condition can change therefore estimates for anesthetic procedures are only good for 45 days from the date of the last physical examination.